Sonia Mazzei. A passionate primary school teacher who loves to teach and learn

The Power of Feedback

The report writing period is almost over (for Australian teachers anyway!) Yipee! When I sit and begin to write student comments, I don’t know where to start because most of the time, I have too much to say! Anecdotal notes (see My Focusbook for ongoing reporting, anecdotal note taking, sharing and teacher accountability), feedback, rubrics, work samples, the list goes on. As teachers we’re inundated with all of the various forms of evidence we have. The most powerful though… I have to say is the feedback I leave on student work.

Using the Google Docs and Slide comment functions to leave instant feedback on student work samples, has empowered my students to take responsibility for their own learning. They have become independent, reflective learners by taking on feedback from teachers and peers. When they see feedback, they crave more! Crazy I know. My students have not only developed their skills in being able to take feedback on board, but have also become confident in providing their peers with feedback too. I have also noticed a growth in resilience. The most reluctant students have become more open-minded when receiving feedback.

Another benefit of using this function is that when it comes to writing reports, all of the feedback you ever left on a piece of work stays with that sample forever! Yep… Even once students have clicked ‘resolve’ and attended to the feedback, you can see how it was resolved and if was attended to or not. The video below explains how to use the ‘comment’ function.

By using instant feedback in the classroom, teachers can create active problem solvers, provide personalised feedback and empower students to be independent learners. Give it a go! It’ll change their perspective on feedback. I promise!